For the first time since 2014, the sun was out for Alice Enevoldsen‘s spring-equinox sunset watch at Solstice Park. That meant everyone could gather along the park’s designated path to view the seasonal sunset alignment:

A special feature for tonight’s viewing: Alice’s daughter and friends set up a stick so that its shadow would align with the sunset:

A regular feature of Alice’s gatherings: Learning about the relationship between the sun and earth as the seasons change:

Another way to learn: Alice brought books so early-ish arrivals could read while awaiting the sunset:

Not to rush through spring, but … if you feel like setting your calendar for Alice’s next sunset-watch event, it’ll mark the first sunset after the summer solstice, on Thursday, June 21st, 8:45 pm-9:45 pm. Alice has been leading sunset watches for nine years now!

NICHOLAS WATSON BACK IN JAIL: Back on Sunday night, we told you about a warrant out for the arrest of 36-year-old Nicholas Watson, after he stopped showing up for classes he was supposed to be taking in an alternative-custody program as a condition of being released from jail March 1st, two weeks after he was arrested for allegedly breaking into an Upper Morgan house where he was found in possession of items stolen from people’s cars. Tonight, we learned that he’s just been booked back into jail. We also note from the new entry on the jail register that since being charged in the Upper Morgan case, he has been charged in two earlier cases – both involving stolen cars – one taken in January in East Admiral, found in the Admiral Safeway parking lot, and one taken last November, found in Highland Park – and he already had failure-to-appear warrants in both of those cases.

Also tonight, two reader reports about burglaries:

First, from Paige:

My parents’ house was broken into today in the neighborhood west of The Junction. The thieves broke in through the back of the house and took leftovers from the fridge to feed and distract my parents’ dog. They stole laptops, iPads, all of my mom’s jewelry, which included antique jewelry from my late grandparents. On top of all of this, they stole spare keys to their vehicles and a lockbox that held ALL of their important documents such as Social Security cards, birth certificates, wedding certificates, power of attorney paperwork, my grandmother’s will, and the titles to their vehicles. They also stole blank checks. While I know we likely will not see the majority of these items again, our hope is possibly something will get dumped somewhere. Especially especially the lockbox.

We’ve asked Paige for the police incident # so it can be referred to by anyone who finds any of the above, and will add it here when we get it. (UPDATE: 2018-099933)

Second, from Andrew, near 41st and Edmunds:

We have had two break-ins in the last few days by the same guy. Can you please let other neighbors know? The first break-in was on 3/14 at 3:23 am with a male and female. Both are African American.

The second time was last night (3/20) at the same time but this time it was the male only. The only key thing that stands out is his large Seahawk “12” bag on his back.

We’re also awaiting the police incident # in this case so we can add it.

If you have a question or concern about what’s happening in Washington, D.C., one week from tonight, you can talk with our area’s U.S. House representative here in West Seattle – Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who’s planning a town-hall meeting at 6 pm Tuesday, March 27th, at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). She lives in West Seattle but represents (corrected) much of the city as well as the rest of the 7th District [added: here’s the map].

We just happened to be close enough to Seacrest to get that photo of the West Seattle Water Taxi arriving, shortly after King County sent out this reminder about the seasonal schedule change kicking in a week from Thursday (March 29th), as we first mentioned last month:

The new schedule includes sailings seven days a week between West Seattle and Pier 52 in downtown Seattle. The Water Taxi will also offer evening sailings on Fridays, Saturdays, and during Seattle Mariners, Sounders, and Seahawks night home games.

Sports fans can enjoy traffic-free travel to both the March 29 Mariners home opener at Safeco Field and the Sounders March 31 match at CenturyLink Field.

For an adult one-way fare of $5.75 ($5 with an ORCA card), passengers can enjoy a 15-minute ride across Elliott Bay with views (weather permitting) of the Seattle skyline, Mount Rainier, and Olympic Mountains—and avoid paying for parking in Seattle.

Added sailings on weekdays will mean boats leave every 30 minutes during peak commute hours and every hour in off-peak times.

The Water Taxi is accessible by transit. In West Seattle, riders can take free Metro shuttles to and from the Water Taxi landing at Seacrest Park. Route 773 serves the West Seattle Junction. Route 775 serves the Admiral District and Alki. Both also serve destinations offering dining, shopping, and other entertainment.

The Vashon Island Water Taxi schedule stays the same throughout the year (visit kingcounty.gov/watertaxi to learn more).

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Comments Off on TRAFFIC ALERT: Crash by Fauntleroy Park

4:08 PM: Thanks to Kersti for the tip – police are directing traffic around a crash by Fauntleroy Park, at Henderson/Barton [map]. If you are headed to/from the ferry dock or the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse/YMCA (WSB sponsor) area, you might want to try an alternate route, for now.

5:14 PM: Still not clear – we just went through the area. But probably not too much longer, since a tow truck has arrived.

They are, above, the Morgan Junction Park expansion site, north of the existing park, where the city demolished a commercial building in 2016. And below, the 48th SW/SW Charlestown site, which remains a meadow behind a low fence:

Both will go through a planning process, and we have an update on the city’s timeline – official planning for Morgan will start in the second quarter of this year, and for 48th/Charlestown, in the third quarter. That’s according to page 18 in this slide deck prepared for a briefing to be given to the City Council’s Civic Development, Public Assets, and Native Communities Committee at 2 pm tomorrow. The slide also lists the levy funding planned for developing those (and other) landbanked sites into parks – $1.4 million for Morgan and $1.2 million for 48th/Charlestown.

Spring is here and that means garage (yard/courtyard/rummage/etc.) sale season is on!

For the 14th consecutive spring, this year brings a day that’ll be full of sales of all sizes, all around the peninsula – West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, coordinated by WSB since its fourth year back in 2008. We’re mentioning WSCGSD today because registration will begin in two weeks. The actual sale day is Saturday, May 12, 2018 (second Saturday in May every year), 9 am-3 pm, though participants are welcome to start sooner and/or end later if they want (if you’re having a sale and plan to do that, be sure to include the hours in the listing text you give us when you sign up).

We start by wishing good luck to the Enlightened Eagles, the Pathfinder K-8 team that is West Seattle’s sole representative in tonight’s citywide Global Reading Challenge finals. You’re welcome to cheer them on in the auditorium at the Central Library downtown (1000 4th Ave.), 7 pm, admission free.

DINE OUT FOR TWO SCHOOLS: 5-8 pm at adjacent White Center businesses Lil’ Woody’s, CTO, and Beer Star, a portion of the proceeds benefit two local schools – Boren STEM K-8 and Concord International. (

FAUNTLEROY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION FOOD FEST/MEMBERSHIP MEETING: It’s the annual chance to sample local eateries while learning what’s up in the community, voting for FCA leadership, and renewing your membership, all starting at 6 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy. This is not a “sit down and listen” meeting – more like mingling. (9131 California SW)

SPRING EQUINOX SUNSET WATCH: Starting at 6:30 pm (with sunset around 7:10 pm), join expert skywatcher Alice Enevoldsen at Solstice Park for the ninth anniversary of her quarterly sunset watches – this is the first one after this morning’s spring equinox. All ages welcome and encouraged. It’s free and on a drop-in/stop-by basis, so you can be there for a few minutes or for the entire hour or so that Alice will be there. Uphill from the tennis courts. (7400 Fauntleroy Way SW)

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand) A crew working for the state Department of Natural Resources is back out on West Seattle beaches this week, cleaning up creosote - a toxic threat you might not even recognize as you walk along beaches strewn with old pilings containing literally tons of the substance lon...